St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-26

essay, AN Evening With BjornStjerne
BjornSon in Paris" which has made
such a sensation this week among edu-
Gated scandinavian circles in Mime
apolis. AS it might be interesting to
our American readers to know some
thing more about this essay and the
great Norwegian poet whom it so
graphically pictures, the GLOBE to-day
furnishes faithful review of the essay
above referred to, and by extracts from
the original English manuscript, writ
ten, it is said. a year and a half ago,
gives to its readers a fair idea of Mr..
Nymanover'S latest literary production,
pronounced masterpiece both as to
style and composition.
-
Evert NymanoVer needs no intro
duction at the hands of the GLOBE. lie
has been so often mentioned, and his
lectures continually reported in this
paper, that almost every one of our read
going to leave Minneapolis in August or
September for another voyage to
Europe, where he intends to stay year
in London and another year in Paris,
completing his forthcoming book, Con
LESSONS of Socialist it, therefore,
would be well to bear in mind that he,
as yet, not only has distinguished
himself in local circles as a
lecturer and labor organizer, but
also, and, perhaps, most favOrably. as a
writer and eSsayiSt, not to mention his
active journalistic works of late for
this and other papers. Suffice to call
the readers mind to Milton, Paris
Study" which took prize i'll the very
Paris (see Scandinavia for March and
May, 1885,; his lectures on Paris, Past
and Present" which for a long time
past have filed two columns in the
kurre with good and very interesting
reading matter. The historical learn
ing they exhibit and the diligent re-
searches into the broad and mysterious
history OF Paris are indeed worth Spe-
cial mention here. And now his essay
on BiornStjerne Bjornson-a man of
such grand intellectual stature, that he
stands, so 10 say, alone among the Nor
WegianS OF tO-day-he also passes a re-
view; but whom he, nevertheless, char
acteriZeS with the utmost ease and
elegance.
THE ESSAY IN EXTRACTS.
"An Evening With Bjornstjerne
Riornson' commences with a somewhat
lengthy narrative of Nymanover' jour
ney to Europe in 1884: his visits to the
old, but very famous cities OF Antwerp,
Brussels, Client, Bruges, LOuvain,
(where the oldest Catholic university of
Europe is located, Mons, CharIeroi,
Lille, etc. Then the narrative, with al
most childish simplicity, goes on to re-
late his arrival in Paris. Il came to
Paris-thiS center Of modern civiliZa-
tion-for the first time in my life" so
he says. Ion the LIST Of August, 1884, at
1 o'clock in the morning. just at this
point it came to my recollection that |
had letter of Introduction to the very
n Xrh I
sketch. 1t was a letter from Rev.
krist0fer Jans0n to BjOrnst-
jerne Bjornson." And further
on we are informed OF another
letter, letter of recommendation: TO
whom and all it may concern" given
him by the late Gov. Hubbard. He lays
much stress on the necessity Of Ameri-
can citizens having official documents
with them when travelling in Europe
Soon we find him at the residence of
BjOrnstjerne BjOrnSOn, ID Rue Faraday,
but where he, however, does not find the
expected object for his visit at home
Bjornson had just left for Tyrol.
Once in the midst of Paris the essay
ist so becomes absorbed in studies al
SorbOnne and in the different libraries
that he altogether forgets both Bjornson
and the letters he had to him and to
different persons.
But month before he left Paris to
return to America Che had now been
there almost year and half he made
up in his mind to see the man whom
Morals sons look up to as their greatest.
1t was Sunday eveningoin December
1885, one of those beautiful days OF
which Paris is so delighted to expert
ence-a day much like our Indian sum
mer' days" He went to the same adj.
dress as a year and a half before, and
found him, to his pleasure, at home
He was welcomed, and soon we find
both in the height of vivid and very
lofty conversation. AS natural to eX-
pect, the conversation turned on the
French events of the day. and Mr.. Nv.
hanover finally addressed this question;
What is your opinion Of man like
Victor Hugo, and in what line of liter
airy productions has he best succeeded?'
''As to Victor Hugo, and especially as
to the last of your question, | can say
this. that / consider him greatest as
poet"
so, you do?"
Yes. sir"
But as a.writer of fction-which Of
his numerous works is the best?'
''Eotre Dame de Paris
80 you class that work higher than
Les Miseribles?"
Eyes; | class it much higher"
II am ever so much obliged to you fol-
your frank and ayowed opinion. Still
l take the liberty to differ from you il
regard to this. And as dramatist?"
well, as a dramatist he is not great
at all And this because | think thai
none OF his dramas will long outline
him. But, as l said before, he is great
est as poet; and as such he is happy
in La Legende DIES Ciecles.' III which
sublime work he swings his thought out
over both time and space into the very
regions of eternal life. Oh! he is truly
great in this mastery work"
But as character-what do you say
of him as such? Do you approve the
judgment of the French that Hugo
socially considered, is the greatest man
of our century, just as Bismarck is con
sidered SO politically?"
81 don't understand what you really
mean, neither what the Frenchmer
mean by their cry about the greatest
man OF the century, You must not
forget that the century has not ended
yet. And to speak with frankness
what heroic deed to merit that great
ness has he done? Mention only Single
one having connection with France and
its politics. That he remained eighteen
years in continual exile is indeed praise
worthy; butas to Napoleon, for instance
dIlu IllC SCCOllu WIldl
role has he played there? Tell me only
one of value or greatneSS?"
1.-The fall of the empire, sir" Here
Bioenstjeine Bjornson seemed gto bt
touched. and remained silent for mo-
ment. Soon he resumed, however, his
former attitude on the question, ant
said: 1--WE must not forget the role the
Germans played in this memorable
EVENT.
Yes; but they merely brought the
event about y. ;:eilig TIE fighters. !
tell Won the VI. ,,,as Ilnth moral |,